We’ve all had GAS (gear aquisition syndrome) and/or gear envy, gear lust, etc., where we dream of owning everything we can fit in our apartment that’s way too small because we’re spending all our money on studio equipment.

Alternately, some of us may wonder how much better our music could be if we only had access to the kind of pro studios with all the best processors, mixing boards and tape machines that seem so inaccessible.

Well, as we know, the Internet has been shrinking the distance between people for many years. While the relatively small music industry takes a while to catch up, we’ve seen many music business connector sites cropping up, such as Splice for music collaboration and Vocalizr for matching vocalists with producers.

The latest one promises to give you an outlet to relieve your wistfulness for “unattainable” gear. The Audio Hunt lets studio owners and independent producers, engineers, arrangers, synthesists, etc. create listings for the remote access to their best gear and services. Interested parties then contact the lister and arrange details for exchange high-res audio files to process, mix or master, or MIDI files to be recorded through high-end synths or drum machines.

Prices are set on a per-track, per-channel, per-song, per-album, etc. basis, and the money exchanges are mediated through The Audio Hunt site.

Any user can both create listings for services and/or gear, as well as seek out the services and others, so besides gaining access to studios, professionals and classic gear in any location around the world, you can also use The Audio Hunt to earn some money through your own talents and/or prized equipment.

The Audio Hunt’s listing categories include Channel Strips, Drum Machines, Dynamics, Effects, EQs, Mixers, Synths and Tape. The professional services offered include mastering, mixing, reamping and a catch-all Services heading where people advertise anything from arrangements to drum alignment and vocal tuning.

There are still some holes in each category, where if you have unique talents or some really high-quality boutique and/or vintage gear, you could capitalize on this new site.

However, while the site is still relatively new, if you’re looking to buy rather than sell, you can find nearly every highly-prized and legendary processor, mixing board, etc. for you to rent for your tracks. In most cases, the prices are set by channel or track, and the price usually lands at about $8-25 per channel or track. (Prices also show up in British pounds, euros, etc.)

For the most part, files will be exchanged as high-res WAV or AIFF, in the 16-32 bit and 44.1-192kHz ranges. Some situations may also involve exchanging Pro Tools or other DAW sessions.

Everyone from bedroom masters to pro studios like Secret World Studios and Boulevard Recording in Hollywood and the Beatie Boys’ Oscillosope Labs in New York are hawking their ware and skills on The Audio Hunt. The site also designates Certified Pro accounts on a user’s profile page.

Below is just a partial list of some of the beautiful audio gear to be accessed through The Audio Hunt, but there are plenty more for you to browse.

Universal Audio’s UAD line has certainly withstood the test of time.Pairing hardware acceleration with a fine selection of plug ins has proven a winning combination, and raised the bar for audio quality when recording “in the box.” The UAD 2

For years, producers had grown accustomed to digital audio workstations being variations on a theme. For all the significant differences, these tools could be expected to work in the same basic ways. Then came Ableton Live. While adopting some of those conventions, it flouted others, with a non-linear clip-based structure as the centerpiece. Now, Bitwig Studio is the first real challenger in the same mold as Ableton, and for a 1.0 outing, it’s surprisingly complete. Do the sum of its parts add up to a worthy alternative to other DAWs?